Kenyan truck drivers demand union rights

About the campaign

In March, after workers at Agility who were on strike were attacked and beaten by police, more than 8,000 people signed a petition condemning the violence and demanding that the company negotiate with workers to end the strike peacefully. International support helped bring the company to the negotiating table and secure agreement that those who had been on strike would not be penalised by the company.

Now the drivers need our support again to bring an end to the harassment and victimisation of union members, and secure union recognition.

How you can help support the drivers

1. Click here to add to the mass email protest sent to Agility Logistics' CEO demanding that the company negotiates with workers and recognises their union.

3. Share the drivers’ stories on social media and help draw the world’s attention to their campaign. Click on ‘Campaign Materials’ above for images you can share. Tweet to the company @agility and the CEO @tarek_sultan and use hashtag #agilityunionrightsnow

4. Sign up to receive updates on the campaign by adding your email address under ‘take action now’

Background

Truck drivers in Kenya are demanding their employer recognises their union and addresses dangerous and unfair working conditions.

The drivers work for Agility Logistics, one of the world’s largest logistics companies, headquartered in Kuwait. They work on Kenya’s northern corridor, a key route for trucks carrying cargo within Kenya and into Uganda, Tanzania and other countries. Companies operating in this region are notorious for anti-union activity and many workers have been dismissed for seeking to join a union.

Drivers have reported working excessive hours with inadequate rest breaks, unfair dismissals of union members, and workers being employed on precarious short-term contracts.

When a group of workers began a peaceful protest against excessive working hours, intimidation and denial of union recognition, the police responded with violence and intimidation. For more information about the protest click on ‘Timeline’ above.

Within two days of the police violence over 5,000 supporters had written to the CEO of Agility Logistics demanding an end to violence and for the company to enter negotiations. This pressure was essential in bringing the company to the negotiating table.

The drivers have now returned to work, but their campaign for union recognition and decent working conditions continues. International attention helped stop violence against the striking workers, and it can help achieve union recognition and better working conditions.

8thousand campaign supporters

Timeline

2015

20/05/2015

Agility Kenya HR officer Jackline Njeri informs six workers that their jobs would be terminated. Njeri alleges that its contracts with British American Tobacco (BAT) have been cancelled.

Agility Mombasa manager Edmund Howai summons six workers in the shipping department, accusing them of widely circulating photos of Ruth Mutahi, the worker who was manhandled by security guards on Monday 20 April 2015. The Mombasa manager alleges that Ruth's photos were used to cause the cancellation of contracts between BAT and Agility.

The company’s HR officer, Jackline Njeri attempts to issue a dismissal letter to one of the workers alleging that his termination is due to the 'cancellation of contracts' with BAT. The worker argues that he was employed as a turn man (driver's assistant) and not under terms dependent on contracts with BAT. He declines to take the letter, and the Agility management subsequently withdraws from its attempts

11/05/2015

Workers report a climate of intimidation in Mombasa as Agility manager Edmund Howai positions his work station next to the work stations of the workers who were facing rapid and unfair transfers.

The three workers facing rapid and unfair transfers report for work in Mombasa. The workers report mixed reactions from their fellow co-workers and neither greeting nor acknowledgment of their presence from Mombasa branch manager.

03/05/2015

Agility managment post anti-union memo in Mombasa workplace

02/05/2015

Agility human resources manager – in response to a letter from three workers facing rapid transfers – informs workers that they may continue working at their current station in Mombasa.

01/05/2015

Top government representatives join leaders from Kenya’s trade union movement at a May Day rally in Mombasa. Agility’s dangerous, violent and anti-union tactics are highlighted. Governor Joho promises to convene an urgent meeting with the ITF and trade unions. Teachers’ union KNUT and the general secretary of the private security guards’ union vowed to back Agility's workers in their campaign for a collective voice at work and an end to bad labour practices. The government and union presence included: Joseph Katende, ITF Africa regional secretary; Simon Sang, general secretary of the Dock Workers Union of Kenya; Nicholas Mbugua, general secretary of the Kenya Long Distance Truck Drivers and Allied Workers Union; woman parliamentarian the Hon Juma Khamis; Mombasa county governor HE Hassan Joho; a representative from national trade union centre, the Central Organisation of Trade Unions (Cotu), Mutiso; and Mombasa County labour officer, Jeremiah Katana.

01/05/2015

The Belgian delegation attended May Day ceremony in Nairobi.

Throughout the visit the BTB spread the word about the Agility workers and their fight for union recognition, see here >>

30/04/2015

The ITF and Belgian labour solidarity delegation meets with the government representatives including officials from the Ministry of Tourism and development, Ministry of Transport and Mombasa's county government official, Honourable Tumbo. They discuss the government’s role in dealing with Agility's victimisation of unionised workers, police brutality, freedom of association and collective bargaining. In the afternoon the delegation, joined by the dockers’ and leaders of the Kenyan Long distance drivers’ unions meets with the Mombasa county Labour officer Jeremiah Katana to discuss unfair labour practices.

29/04/2015

The solidarity mission travels to Mombasa to meet with drivers involved in the 14 day protest that took place in March over 24 hour work shifts and Agilities refusal to recognise their union. The delegation also meets with solidarity groups comprised of ITF affiliates in Kenya including the Seafarers Union of Kenya and Dock Workers Union of Kenya.

29/04/2015

In London, UNITE the union alongside ITF members deliver a personal message from Agility worker Ruth Matahi to shareholders of British American Tobacco (BAT) at their annual general meeting. BAT is a major customer of Agility.

28/04/2015

ITF and Belgian labour solidarity mission visit Agility outsourced warehouse workers in Nairobi. Discussions and sharing of information on working conditions and refusal to recognise the union takes place.

27/04/2015

ITF and Belgium labour solidarity mission commences with a visit to the Belgian embassy in Nairobi. Frank Moreels (BTB, ITF affiliate in Belgium ), Janina Malinovska and Joseph Katende (ITF), Stefan De Groote (ABVV- FGTB, Belgium) meet ambassador Roxanne de Bilder and attaché Pieter Leenknecht to explain the problems faced by Agility workers in Kenya, including the company's refusal to recognise the union and use of police. The delegation called on the embassy officials to raise concerns with the Kenyan government.

Later in the day the solidarity support mission joined by Anna Karume and Allan Munobwa (ITF) and Nicholas Mbugua, general secretary of Kenya Long Distance Truck Drivers’ and Allied Workers’ Union, hear testimonies from Agility mechanics and drivers at Agility's headquarters, Gilgil road.

20/04/2015

Agility workers who were told they would be transferred to workplaces over 1,200km away report to Agility’s Mombasa office and ask to speak to a manager. The manager calls in security guards who forcefully remove the women from the offices. Ruth was one of the workers manhandled out of the office and she gave a shocking account of being grabbed by a security guard: “I was treated as an intruder, my buttons flew off. I was left embarrassed, humiliated and semi-naked in front of my fellow workers.”

17/04/2015

ITF affiliates who represent workers at the British Ministry of Defence write to their employer expressing grave concern about the actions of Agility Logistics in Kenya. The MOD is a significant customer of Agility and union members at the MOD have been shocked to hear about the allegations of intimidation and violence at Agility Logistics in Kenya.

15/04/2015

Workers at Dominos Pizza in New York City show their support for Agility workers in Kenya during an international day of action for fast food workers.

13/04/2015

Agility truck drivers report that their working patterns have suddenly been changed with no consultation. The drivers are concerned that they have been moved to uncertain short-haul working patterns and are required to work much longer hours for the same amount of pay.

07/04/2015

Agility warehouse workers tell the ITF that they arrived at work in the morning and were told they had been sacked with immediate effect. They were then called back to work only a few hours later. The union's reps report that they were denied entry to Agility's premises.

06/04/2015

Warehouse workers at Agility report that they have been informed that their jobs are being outsourced and they must sign contracts with a new employer that day or be refused entry to their workplace.

02/04/2015

The union members who received only a few days notice that they were to be transferred to workplaces up to 1,200km away share their stories in an ITF video.

At a press conference in Mombasa, the ITF team raises serious concerns about Agility’s actions in Kenya. The team warn that Agility must immediately act to prevent intimidation and harassment of union members, or face worldwide censure from transport unions.

01/04/2015

The ITF receives reports that Agility trucks leaving Mombasa at 23.00 were pulled into a convoy and police officers boarded several vehicles. The drivers believe the police were acting on orders from Agility management. Many drivers had been working continuously since they left Nairobi the previous night and they were concerned as they did not know when they would be able to rest.

01/04/2015

Agility workers in Mombasa report that their manager has instructed them to sign a ‘loyalty declaration’ pledging to withdraw from, or not join the union. This is a violation of workers’ rights under the Kenyan Constitution.

01/04/2015

The Kenya Long Distance Truck Drivers’ and Allied Workers’ Union, which represents Agility workers, meets with the Dock Workers’ Union of Kenya in Mombasa. Dock workers pledge their support for the Agility workers’ campaign for union recognition.

01/04/2015

Four union members who were given only a few days notice that they would be transferred from Mombasa to workplaces up to 1,200km away report that they were turned away from their Mombasa workplace this morning. Two workers tell the ITF team they have been transferred to Uganda, despite having no permit to work in the country. The workers all have families, including young children at school, in Mombasa. The workers believe that they are being transferred because of their union activity.

01/04/2015

The ITF team record a short film of Agility workers sharing their experiences and explaining why they need union representation.

Agility tells workers that their salaries, which were due to be paid before the Easter holiday, will be delayed by several days until after the holiday. Workers report they received a memo from Agility management stating that the delayed pay is due to the recent strike by drivers which affected company profits.

31/03/2015

The ITF team meets with the management team at Agility’s headquarters in Nairobi. The team raise concerns about intimidation of union members and urge the company to recognise the union and implement a zero tolerance approach to harassment and intimidation. The company refuses to recognise the union and say it will need to think about the other proposals.

31/03/2015

Agility workers in Nairobi raise many concerns about the company’s treatment of its workers. Workers reported that drivers who had been involved in accidents were dismissed without any investigation into the accident, and that the company failed to cover medical expenses for drivers injured at work. Workshop mechanics told the ITF team that Agility was failing to provide proper safety equipment, such as overalls and safety boots.

30/03/2015

A second ITF monitoring team arrives in Kenya to meet with workers and document ongoing allegations of victimisation and intimidation of union members.

29/03/2015

Further allegations of victimisation of union members are made. Four Agility workers, who are active members of the union, tell the ITF that they recently received notice that they will be transferred to new workplaces. The workers report that they were given only nine days notice that they would be transferred.

29/03/2015

The ITF team meets with more Agility workers in Mombasa. We can’t show you their faces as pro-union workers fear reprisals from management.

29/03/2015

Truck drivers report that workers involved in the recent strike are facing reprisals from management. Drivers involved in the strike report that they have been sent on journeys without enough fuel leading to some drivers becoming stranded.

29/03/2015

The ITF team finds further evidence suggesting unfair treatment of workers by Agility. One worker has been employed for three years and states that he has never received a written contract.

28/03/2015

ITF monitoring team meets with truck drivers and mechanics at Agility’s Gilgil Road workplace to hear about their experiences working for Agility.

28/03/2015

A group of Agility warehouse workers tell the ITF team that they have been informed their jobs are to be outsourced with only a few days notice. Workers report that the new employer is trying to force workers to sign a new contract which fails to give any information about their new terms and conditions. Workers fear they could be forced to work in different locations far away from their homes.

28/03/2015

ITF monitoring team visits Agility’s Broadway warehouse to meet with workers. Workers tell the team that management required them to work an extra three hours, apparently in an attempt to prevent them meeting the ITF team.

Reports are received of worker harassment at one worksite; 28 membership forms are snatched and names copied down by management in Agility Broadway Nairobi; the lead organiser is summoned by management.

19/03/2015

The ITF’s Belgian affiliate, BTB, organises a protest outside an Agility Logistics warehouse in Zaventem/Brussels. The union is calling on Agility Logistics to negotiate with its workers in Kenya and recognise their right to union representation.

18/03/2015

Agility Logistics signs a return to work agreement with the union. It guarantees no worker will be dismissed or victimised for joining the strike and that drivers will receive pay for the time they were on strike.

ITF warns of an imminent crisis as it appears police are preparing to attack peaceful protesters again.

16/03/2015

ITF launches a LabourStart campaign, now supported by over 4,400 people, which calls on Agility to end violence against workers and negotiate with the union.

16/03/2015

Armed police attempt to attack a second group of drivers. The local community defend the drivers, and refuse to allow the police to drive the trucks away.

15/03/2015

Armed police attack sleeping drivers in the middle of the night. Police enter the drivers’ cabs, beat them and forced them to drive at gunpoint to a company workshop.

One of the drivers gave a shocking account of the violence used by the police: "After abducting me inside my cabin at around 12.15 am, the workshop manager commanded police and the policeman pointed his gun at me and ordered me to drive non-stop at not less than 80 KPH in full lights and with hazard lights on all along the highway to Gigiri Police station in Nairobi. This made me feel that road safety was not their concern, but their wealth…I knew they wanted us dead."

12/03/2015

ITF General Secretary, acting on behalf of 4.5 million transport workers, contacts the CEO of Agility Logistics to urge the company to negotiate with workers. Click here for more information.

03/03/2015

Drivers park their trucks on the main highway between Mombasa and Nairobi in a peaceful protest against excessive working hours, intimidation and denial of union recognition by their employer, Agility Logistics. A second group of drivers gather near to Mai Mahui, on the road between Nairobi and the border with Uganda.

Campaign Materials

1. Share this photo on your social media networks. Tweet to the company @agility and the CEO @tarek_sultan and use hashtag #agilityunionrightsnow

2.Click here to send an email to the CEO of Agility Logistics demanding that the company negotiates with the union and improves drivers’ working conditions.

3. Watch these short films of Agility workers sharing their stories, and then share them on your social media networks:

“They’re chasing me away” – Agility workers who were given only a few days notice that they would be transferred to workplaces up to 1,200km away talk about their experiences.

Latest comments

Baleka Moses

534 Days Ago

I do support the rest that the management of Agility Logistic in Kenya should respect the workers rights on the rights there is no joke or negotiation. Am Baleka Moses General Secretary National Union of Drivers, Cyclists and Allied Workers one of the 40 Labor Unions in Uganda Solidarity for ever

DAMISA CYMPA

Philips Nkiru

1036 Days Ago

Tarek Sultan, Chief Executive Officer of Agility logistics as one of the world’s leading logistics providers, should intervene and ensure that brutal attacks by Kenya’s police on Kenyan truckers ceases immediately and should enter into negotiations with the Kenya Long Distance Truck Drivers and Allied Workers Union (KLDTDAWU) to resolve the matter.

Joshua S. Wilson

1037 Days Ago

Agility Logistics' CEO, please be aware of the facts that before entering into this business of yours you negotiated with Kenyan Government and other people around the globe for the full establishment of your company. In so doing, please negotiate with workers’ who have made numerous sacrifices to place your company at the top. RESPECT THE RIGHTS OF WORKERS!! RESPECT HUMAN RIGHTS!!!!!

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All comments

Baleka Moses

534 Days Ago

I do support the rest that the management of Agility Logistic in Kenya should respect the workers rights on the rights there is no joke or negotiation. Am Baleka Moses General Secretary National Union of Drivers, Cyclists and Allied Workers one of the 40 Labor Unions in Uganda Solidarity for ever

DAMISA CYMPA

Philips Nkiru

1036 Days Ago

Tarek Sultan, Chief Executive Officer of Agility logistics as one of the world’s leading logistics providers, should intervene and ensure that brutal attacks by Kenya’s police on Kenyan truckers ceases immediately and should enter into negotiations with the Kenya Long Distance Truck Drivers and Allied Workers Union (KLDTDAWU) to resolve the matter.

Joshua S. Wilson

1037 Days Ago

Agility Logistics' CEO, please be aware of the facts that before entering into this business of yours you negotiated with Kenyan Government and other people around the globe for the full establishment of your company. In so doing, please negotiate with workers’ who have made numerous sacrifices to place your company at the top. RESPECT THE RIGHTS OF WORKERS!! RESPECT HUMAN RIGHTS!!!!!